As the 2025-26 NBA season begins, basketball fans across the Baltics will have plenty to follow. Three of the region’s brightest names – Kristaps Porziņģis, Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valančiūnas – are preparing for their teams’ opening games, each carrying their nation’s pride and high expectations into the new campaign.
Latvia’s Kristaps Porziņģis is starting a new chapter in his career with the Atlanta Hawks after being traded from the Boston Celtics in a three-team deal this summer. The Hawks will open their season on October 22, facing the Toronto Raptors in Atlanta, marking Porziņģis’s first official game in his new uniform. Last season with Boston, he averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 42 games, helping the Celtics capture the 2025 NBA title. Known for his outside shooting and rim protection, Porziņģis now joins forces with Trae Young in what could become one of the league’s most versatile offensive duos. Atlanta hopes that the Latvian big man’s combination of skill and experience will help lift the franchise back into serious playoff contention.
Lithuania’s veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas will also begin this season with a new team, the Denver Nuggets, after being acquired in July. The Nuggets are set to open their campaign against the Golden State Warriors on October 23, with Valančiūnas expected to take on a valuable rotational role behind MVP Nikola Jokić. Last season, spent between Washington and Sacramento, he averaged 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds, maintaining his trademark physicality and efficiency around the basket. In Denver, his size and experience will give the defending champions reliable depth in the frontcourt and a stabilizing presence during long regular-season stretches.
Meanwhile, another Lithuanian star, Domantas Sabonis, remains the cornerstone of the Sacramento Kings. The Kings open their season on October 22 with an away game in Phoenix against the Suns, but Sabonis is expected to miss the first few matches due to a mild hamstring strain. Despite the setback, he enters the new season after another exceptional year, leading the entire league in rebounds with 13.9 per game while also averaging 19 points and six assists. His all-around game – equally focused on scoring, passing and rebounding – continues to make him one of the NBA’s most complete big men. Sacramento’s playoff ambitions will depend heavily on how quickly he returns to full strength.
For Baltic basketball supporters, this season carries special significance. Porziņģis arrives in Atlanta as a reigning champion, eager to prove his worth in a fresh environment. Valančiūnas brings his leadership and toughness to Denver’s title-defending roster. Sabonis, though temporarily sidelined, remains one of the league’s most respected power forwards, anchoring the hopes of a Kings team aiming to rise higher in the Western Conference standings.
As the new NBA season tips off, the presence of these three Baltic players underscores the region’s growing influence on the world’s top basketball league. Their paths may differ – one starting anew, another embracing a supporting role, and a third fighting through early adversity – but together, they continue to carry the pride of Baltic basketball onto the global stage.
